Vegan Banana Bread

My cousin Diane gave me "The Happy Herbivore" cookbook by Lindsay Nixon for my birthday. Now that I am on winter break I actually have time to explore and try some of the recipes. While I am not thinking about becoming a vegan, I think it's just a healthier way of cooking and baking and I am always up for something new. Now that I have been working on losing weight for officially one year, I need to shake things up. The first thing I tried (pictured above) was banana bread. It filled my house with a sweet aroma and tasted delicious! The next recipe from this cookbook is sweet cinnamon rolls. Here is the recipe for the banana bread...

Ingredients:
1/4 cup non dairy milk (I bought light, vanilla silk soymilk)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice (the kind in the plastic lemon bottle will do)
4 or 5 spotted or browning bananas (our bananas go bad often, now I won't have to throw them away!)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup raw sugar (I recommend adding a little extra sugar for a sweeter taste)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (go easy on this ingredient)
2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup (expensive... but I figure it will last a long time)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk the non-dairy milk and lemon juice together until bubbly and set aside.
3. Cream bananas with brown sugar and raw sugar using a spatula or food processor until smooth and creamy, set aside (I left some little chunks and thought this was a good thing).
4. In a large bowl (I got to use my new kitchen aid, yahoo), whisk spices, flour, baking soda, and baking powder together.
5. Add milk-lemon juice and banana mixture, as well as vanilla extract and maple syrup (I also added coconut extract for a little extra zing... you could add other extracts like cherry or almond to kick it up a notch).
6. Pour into loaf pan, using a spatula to evenly distribute and smooth out the top.
7. Lay a large piece of foil on top (do not wrap tightly).
8. Bake 45-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (it does take a long time for this to bake).

Let me know if you make this and how it goes! :) Also, what are your favorite healthy recipes? I need some new ideas!

Our Version of a Gingerbread House!

At 5 and 2 years old we are not quite ready to enter the realm of gingerbread house making, so our compromise for the last 2 years has been to make a Rice Krispie Treats "Holiday House" the last two years. It comes with everything you need except for 2 tablespoons of butter and I found it at 5 and Below (though I have seen it at other stores such as Target).


Daddy, Caleb, and Blake enjoyed decorating their houses with red/green icing, gum drops, and candy balls.


The final products were two masterpieces!


As fun as they were to make, the best part was eating the final product!

Wise Avenue Train Garden in Dundalk

Tonight we visited the Wise Avenue Train Garden in Dundalk. It's been a solid family tradition since I was an infant and I am excited to pass it on to my boys. This year was the most fun we've ever had as both boys were both into it and excited! Above is a picture of Blake with his Mom Mom Ament. She was a much appreciated pair of extra hands.


Caleb couldn't stop pointing at the different displays. His favorite of the evening (not shocking for a 5 year old boy) was the detailed model of the Dundalk Poop Plant. He couldn't control his giggling.


I know my Mom has similar pictures of me that I would love to pull out.



The display alternates between day and night and both are just as beautiful. There are so many tiny details that it would be impossible to find them all. If you haven't been you really should go! Located at 214 Wise Avenue at Dundalk the train garden will be open through January 8th. Admission is a very affordable $1 with children under 7 free. Visit their website www.wavfc.com for detailed information!